Montoya-Cordova will be sworn in Wednesday, Nov. 15, and will serve out the remainder of Maestas’ term, which expires in 2019.

On Monday, the board interviewed three applicants for the position – Montoya-Cordova, Claudia Benavidez and Lee Romero. The three also participated in a public forum on Thursday, Nov. 9.

Following the interviews, the board voted 4-2 for Montoya-Cordova, who was born and raised in the South Valley. She attended Kit Carson Elementary, Ernie Pyle Middle and Rio Grande High School, where she graduated from in 1976.

District 1 represents the South Valley and Southwest Mesa and includes Rio Grande and Atrisco Heritage Academy high school as well as their feeder schools.

Montoya-Cordova, an administrator for the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, is a social worker by profession whose career has focused on child welfare, developmental disabilities and health and mental health. She also is an adjunct professor at Highlands University.

For 11 years before taking the job at the Department of Workforce Solutions, Montoya-Cordova worked for the New Mexico Department of Health as the director of the Office of School, Health and Adolescent Health.

“As a board member I would see my role as an ambassador for the district,” Montoya-Cordova wrote in her application. “My goal would be to visit with parents, students, teachers and staff; key community leaders and agency directors to fully understand their vision. My goal would be to find opportunities to align vision/mission with the board and share what I've learned.”